


For A Price

by EmpressInferno



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Adam Milligan in Lucifer's Cage, Angel Sex, Angel/Human Relationships, Angels, Angst, Consent, Cute Lucifer, Dirty Talk, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fallen Angels, Feels, Fluff and Smut, Forbidden Love, Forgiveness, Hurt Lucifer, Hurt/Comfort, Insecure Lucifer, Light Dom/sub, Lucifer (Supernatural) in the Cage, M/M, Mates, Mating Bond, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Porn With Plot, Porn with Feelings, Possessive Lucifer, Praise Kink, Protective Lucifer, Psychic Abilities, Reader-Insert, Redemption, Self-Sacrifice, Smut, Soulmates, Subtext, Wing Kink, Wings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-24
Updated: 2019-08-27
Packaged: 2019-11-04 19:15:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 20,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17903942
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmpressInferno/pseuds/EmpressInferno
Summary: You have a very special gift, one that comes at a great price. But Castiel, Dean, and Sam need your help when the fate of the world rests on the shoulders of their forgotten brother and the arch angel who sought their destruction. Can you save Adam from the torment he has endured? Or is that price one you are unwilling to pay?





	1. Freedom

"This...this is-"

"A lot to ask. I know," Cas admitted. You blinked up at him with your Y/E/C eyes before peering around the room at the Winchesters. They were legends, but they knew nothing of the tales that surrounded your people. You were the last of your kind, the Scáthán, a rare form of psychic that could separate the soul from the body and walk through realms beyond. To do so was to risk a severe decrease in your power. To do so in order to bring someone back to the human world was to risk severing the soul from the body permanently. This wasn't spirit walking, dream walking, or astral projecting...this was using a profound amount of energy from the ethers and summoning a physical manifestation of your soul that was just as real as the body you left behind.

"And you need him here...why?"

"Because we need to know what he learned during his time in the cage so we can gank Lucifer and Michael for good," Dean barked. "And because he's blood and we owe him, ok? So are you gonna help us or not?"

"Dean, please." Castiel pleaded with his friend, only irritating Dean more.

"Come on, Cas. It's clear that this chick doesn't want to help us and it's a waste of my damn time."

Though you were usually a very calm person, not quick to anger at all, he was really making you mad. "You selfish human! Do you have any idea what I've done for your race? What my people have sacrificed to keep our world from spilling over into yours?! If you think angels, demons, shifters, vampires, and the creatures that go bump in the night are scary, you haven't seen anything yet!"

Castiel rushed to defend you, "Y/N could die doing this. I do not ask this lightly of her when her death would mean the extinction of an entire race. This decision could effect the universe drastically..."

Sam, being the more intellectual sort and empathetic, came to sit beside you where you reclined on the uncomfortable bunker bed. "I'm sorry we have to request this of you, but it's important. A lot of people will die if we don't."

You looked down where your arms were bound and at the bloodied rags that kept you modest. For all their talk of  _asking_ you, it wasn't as if you consented to being tied up or stolen from your apartment. Not to mention being half-tortured by Dean until Castiel interfered and told him who you were. There was still distrust in his eyes. Dean feared anything he couldn't kill or anything Sam couldn't research on his computer or in the library. A smug little smile curled on your lips for a moment. The uncertainty in there eyes was almost beautiful.

"I wish I could be there to see your faces when you discover that my kind was always more pure than God's angels or the Devil's demons," you sneered, turning to look at Dean. "You wanted to know how to kill me...well, this is it. Only way to kill a Scáthán in this world is to save a human. Let that be the thing that keeps you up at night. How many have we saved at the risk of our own extinction?"

Swallowing past the lump that formed in your throat as the pressure of the situation grew substantially, you took a deep breath and closed your eyes. At first it was darkness, but then you saw the bunker as clear as if you had your eyes open. Every sound, smell, and sensation was vivid. And then all was shadows once more. Warm water began to rise up -to the ankles at first, then up to the calf. You saw yourself moving through the water, feeling its resistance against your leg as you walked. The bunker continued to fade as your journey began and your appearance flickered.

There was no pain with the severance of a soul, at least not for your kind. Your hair lost all pigmentation, glowing an intense white in a curtain of silk that flowed down your back until it brushed against your waist. Eyes like clear, crystal opals twinkled in the blackened atmosphere as a gate manifested right in front of you. Billows of thick, rolling smoke surrounded the iron that burned red. The gate would take you to the other side, the place where so many of the Scáthán had been lost forever. Steeling your nerves against the onslaught of fear, you raised your hand and commanded the gate to open. And as you stepped over the threshold, the remnants of your humanity was left behind. Stars....so many stars welcomed you, feeding you with their energy.

Sheer ribbons of magic that gave the supernatural their unique abilities twirled and danced in your presence, for you were like them. You were at your core: a life-force. It was all harmony and beauty until you reached through the swirling, silver pools of the universe and sauntered into Hell where Lucifer's cage was tucked away between oblivion and fire.

* * *

Lucifer paced back and forth in the cage like a wild beast. Adam's soul lay catatonic on the floor. His unblinking eyes were wide from the pain and torture. Any other moment Lucifer would have laughed hysterically at the fragility of the human soul, but right now....he felt a shift. Something...something was coming. Whether his guest was a friend or a foe remained to be seen, but Lucifer didn't know if he was strong enough to fight. The cage weakened him, took away his powers and kept him trapped against his will. And then she appeared....

He looked at a creature he had never witnessed before, a creature of legend that he only knew because of the endless knowledge in his head. Her purity was almost too much to look upon, it made him  _feel_ things no angel or man or creature should ever be subjected to. It was like looking at the scars on his soul and waiting for the wounds to fester again. Through the dimensions, Lucifer could feel the twitching and trembling of his deformed wings. 

She didn't look at him, though. Her eyes were trained on Adam. Lucifer stepped in front of the human like a petulant child unwilling to share his toys. "I don't think so," he taunted in a singsong voice, but she walked through the bars of his cage and right past him. Lucifer stared in confusion and anger as she knelt down and smoothed the hair away from Adam's forehead. The pathetic thing squirmed beneath her touch, too sensitive to handle the sensation of coming in contact with pure power.

 "What do they call you, Scáthán?" Lucifer asked, his voice deepening to intimidate the creature so that she did not forget who she was in presence of. Still, she ignored him. He grew restless and impatient, returning to his meaningless pacing as he watched her. The Scáthán hovered her hand over Adam, healing the taint and the horrors from the deepest depths of his soul, undoing all that Lucifer had forced him to suffer for reasons unknown.

What stopped him in his tracks was not the realization that he was about to lose his favorite trinket...but the shimmering tear that fell from her beautiful eyes as she sealed her fate. It was the Scáthán sacrifice, the severance of the soul to take the place of a human's torment. This...Adam didn't deserve such a sacrifice. None of her people had. Whatever sympathy Castiel harbored for the humans, he would never understand. Michael wanted to save them to please God. Gabriel fought for them out of self-preservation. Raphael was a tyrant. Lucifer wanted to see them all burn in the flames of his rage.

Adam's soul diminished until it disappeared completely. And only then did the Scáthán acknowledge him. "Y/N. My name is Y/N. And I am here to save the mortal realm as many of my people have done before me. I am the last of us, but no matter what Castiel and the others choose to believe...this sacrifice was not for the human...not completely. I am here to save **_you_** , Lucifer, for I have looked upon the suffering in your own soul and have deemed you worthy of my redemption."

He couldn't believe what he was hearing. It had to be a trick. His father sent her. Or one of his brothers trying to weaken him before they finally killed him instead of keeping him on the celestial version of a time-out. "How does redeeming me save those hairless apes? If I don't end them, something else will...they're vermin and it's only a matter of time before the next big-bad comes along."

"Something is coming. My death will mean that there is nothing left to keep the evil of my world from conquering ALL. That means the end of Heaven, Hell, the mortal realm, Purgatory, the cage, the empty, and everything in between. Nothing will exist...But you and I together..."

"You're Scáthán Na Córa. The Mirror of Justice," Lucifer breathed heavily, struck by the significance of this entity. "That is why you are the last of your kind, you shall be the one to determine the outcome. The one they speak of when they say that _judgement day shall come for us all_....and yet you have chosen me as your warrior...why?"

Y/N extended her arm and an iridescent light flowed like tendrils from the palm of her hand and wrapped around Lucifer. He sucked in a harsh breath as pain rippled through his entire being. Her power touched the most raw parts of his grace and battered them into submission. Her power wrapped around his wings and  _restored_ them. Lucifer felt the bones cracking and popping back into place, feathers fell to the floor of the cage like snow falling on a December night. The scortch marks, burns, cuts, and pus-oozing lesions that never healed properly after his fall mended beneath the manipulation of her essence and he wept like a pathetic babe at the relief.

Lucifer fell to his knees before the Scáthán and shivered through the waves of magic caressing his grace. When it was over, he felt nothing. There was no pain, no nightmarish images pounding in his head, no guilt, no shame, no desperation....nothing. Until a faint glow began to flourish in his chest, a glimmer of hope in the midst of his evil spite as she knelt in front of him to bring her beautiful gaze leveled with his. "You asked me _why_ I chose you and it is because of this," she said, placing her hand above the area he felt the glow flickering. It writhed beneath the body of his vessel and practically purred at her touch. "This is the part of you that still  _loves_. And it is mine....My name is Y/N and I am the Scáthán Na Córa. I am your mate, Lucifer. And I have come to save you so that we may save the universe."


	2. Álainn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Lucifer discuss the journey ahead.  
> Sam, Dean, and Castiel get the surprise of their lifetime.

Castiel looked down upon the body of the Scáthán. Y/N was no longer in there, the body was no more than a shell, but he felt what he now knew as sadness when the body turned transparent. It hardened like crystal and then shattered until nothing but a fine dust of shifting ash remained. Sam Winchester darted forward with a jar, scooping up her remains. Castiel scowled at him. Because she was the last of her people, those ashes were very sacred. "Why would you do that?" he asked.

Sam rolled his eyes. "How many times has something like this happened and we walked away? How many times have we gotten so close to ending everything only to find out that we needed a rare ingredient for a spell? Like, for example, the remains of the last Scáthán?"

Castiel didn't like the sarcastic tone Sam used when referring to the creature he considered a friend as a 'rare ingredient for a spell'. For all of her imperfections, Y/N was a wonderful soul and an individual with incredible power. Even for the angels, her kind was a mystery. They predated God and his angels, the Romans and their pantheon, the Norse, the Egyptians...everyone. They were referred to as the Scáthán because that was what the Irish named them after a coven of witches discovered their temple. Other than that....there was nothing. And that was what made Dean so restless.

Whatever the aftermath of Y/N death would be, they were completely unprepared. There were no lore books or websites to search for. And to Dean, that meant no way of figuring out how to kill what could be coming next. Castiel was jolted from his thoughts as a swirling spectrum of colored light exploded into the room. He was thrown against a wall, taking the force of the impact against his back. Sam was hurled _through_ the wall, landing on the cold tile of the kitchen floor. Dean crashed into the closet, ending up as a tangle of clothing and belts.

When the light began to dim, Castiel hobbled over to the bed. Adam Milligan lay in the center of the bed like an infant fresh from the mother's womb. He was clean and not just outwardly. Adam had been purified of the torture and abuse his body had endured. The worst of the memories were erased, but Y/N did not leave them without hope. Castiel looked inside of Adam's soul and found that he remembered everything except what Lucifer had done to him in the cage, which meant he was still able to be of great help in their mission.....

A swell of power roiled. Sam and Dean came to stand beside Castiel just as that power came to head and the windows burst one by one. They walked over to the frame to look up at the sky. Streaks of purple and crimson danced among millions of stars that shouldn't be visible in the middle of the day. The sun and the moon had eclipsed into a red glow as blood began to rain from the sky. "Son of a bitch," Dean groused.

Through the puddles of blackening blood, eyes peered out into the human world. The Scáthán realm was falling through the cracks. It would only be a matter of time before it consumed everything. Creatures of nightmare crawled up from the ground. Humans ran screaming, only to be caught unaware. Castiel knew they couldn't fight off all of the creatures, but Sam didn't want to leave the people helpless.

"We have to do something!"

Castiel turned to look at Adam on the bed. "We are! The only way to save everyone is to find out a way to end this. I'll get Adam back to the bunker. If this is happening here, it could be spreading quickly. Get to the bunker!"

He placed his hand on Adam's shoulder and disappeared. Sam and Dean were torn between rushing out to help the humans or doing as Castiel instructed and leaving to fight another day. They gathered their things and ran out into the streets, shocked by the black stain in the clouds. The sky was scarred, torn open to unleash what Y/N had tried to warn them about.

* * *

Lucifer stood with his back to the bars, leaning his head against the hot steel and not caring if it burned for once. He couldn't handle what she was telling him. Mumbo jumbo about a prophecy that said he was the savior of her people and the rest of the meat-sacks in the universe. "What's the prophecy again?"

"Born from the God of Man, the fallen shall rise and wield the Sword of Justice against Draoi Dorcha," she explained.

"So...only with me can the beloved Scáthán Na Córa become the sword because you are somehow bound to me? And I can only rise if I bind to you?" Lucifer tapped his chin with the tip of his finger, looking over at her in mock contemplation. She sat in the corner with her knees drawn up to her chest. White hair spilled over her shoulders and those eerie eyes bore into the red, souless pits of his own gaze. Y/N nodded her head.

"You become a knight of my people and I become your sword."

The breathlessness of her voice made him feel....like a predator. Lucifer stalked across his cage and knelt in front of her. He wasn't worthy of her or anything she represented, he knew that. He wasn't worthy of the freedom she offered or the opportunity to claim it...but he wanted it. Lucifer wanted everything she was and more. If she was to be a mark upon his cleansed soul, then so be it. He would accept whatever punishment came from his father, for he was not his god any longer. Lucifer looked upon this broken, beautiful creature and saw strength and power.

Y/N was his goddess. His undoing and his redemption. Lucifer swallowed thickly, reaching out a hand to touch a shimmering strand of hair that was so shocking alongside her Y/S/C skin. It was like water flowing between his fingers, but it sent tiny prickles of energy coursing through his body. Her iridescent eyes flickered up to his and for a moment he was lost. Lucifer licked his lips and saw lifetimes of wisdom swimming in her irises. Without knowing it, his hand moved to stroke the soft flesh of her cheek. Y/N inhaled sharply.

She flinched back and closed her eyes for a moment. Lucifer wondered if she was savoring his touch or stamping down her nausea. "We should talk about what is to come."

He nodded slowly, moving to sit beside her, but also yearning to see her eyes again. She turned her head to face him and Lucifer wanted to weep at the sight of her glory. No one could compare to his goddess. "What's next?" he asked simply. She pushed the hair from her face and let out a little chuckle. Her laughter chimed in the darkness of his cage and he felt his chest clench in response to that tiny morsel of joy.

"There is a path we must take. One that will either bring us together or tear us apart. The nine levels of the inferno must be endured before our destiny begins. But there are pocket realms between the levels, ones we may seek refuge temporarily."

Lucifer looked smug. "Sweetheart, I built Hell. I can get us out of here."

She sighed heavily. "You merely inhabited Hell. Even this cage is only in a pocket realm between the 9th Circle and Oblivion."

He was surprised, which was sort of new for him. Lucifer was rarely surprised, but he believed her. "What happens when we leave here? Conquering the circles of damnation can't go unnoticed."

"I...will attract some unwanted attention."

"How so?"

"The creatures I have fought in past wars have been trapped here for much longer than you in many cases. They will want vengeance. And the moment we leave a pocket realm, I will shine like a beacon in the darkness."

  _A beacon in the darkness...._ Yes. That's exactly what she was. Being near her was like feeling his grace for the first time. It was like basking in the warmth of the sun and hearing his brother Gabriel sing. She made him want to be more than the legends that painted him as a monster. And when she reached over to stroke his wings, Lucifer moaned and shuddered. No one had ever touched him so intimately.

She pushed his shoulder until his back as facing her and he hung his head. Of course she wouldn't want to look at him for long. Nick was a handsome man, but it couldn't hide the evil within. Y/N surprised him once more by running her elegant fingers through the mangled feathers. She fluffed the down and semiplumes in the areas where his wings met his shoulder blades. Lucifer bit down into his lower lip to keep from groaning loudly as she caress the sensitive skin along the seams where his wings could retract. When the tangles were removed, she carried on to the others, cleansing away the soot and stains that remained from his fall. And then her hand stilled...

"What is it?" he asked huskily, feeling beads of sweat form on his brow.

"They're beautiful," Y/N breathed. "Like bubbles floating in the air on a summer afternoon."

"Like your eyes?"

Her touch returned once more, but she said nothing -Lucifer couldn't see the smile on her face as she saw his words as a great compliment. She was cleaning and grooming until his eyes rolled in the back of his head. When she reached the sharp tips of his secondaries and primary feathers, Lucifer breathed deeply, hoping this sensual torture had come to an end. But it had not, Y/N continued to groom him in a way that was no longer necessary. Was she pleased by his wings? He was, after all, the most beautiful of his father's angels. But did Y/N find him beautiful? Or was he just another helpless soul to be saved? Lucifer didn't know and he wasn't sure he wanted to.

He sucked in a harsh breath as her fingers dug in and massaged the muscles beneath the coverts of his wings, she grazed the sensitive glands and used the fragrant oils to lay down his feathers. Lucifer hoped his scent didn't discourage her, for if she stopped he feared he would die of agony. He never felt such pleasure and comfort. His chest heaved and his breathing came in uneven pants that chilled the air. Y/N's touch was much too warm and yet not warm enough, like he was starved for her.

" _Álainn_?"

 _Lovely?_ Had she just called Lucifer 'lovely'? Affectionately? He looked down and realized that his hands were clenched into fists, arms trembling as every muscle in his body was strung tight with tension. Lucifer unfolded his fingers and heard the knuckles crack. He was losing control and he didn't like it. He stood up and moved away from her, trying to control his breathing and the tingles that didn't want to subside. Lucifer gripped the scorching hot bars of his cage and let the pain of it settle his nerves. " _Álainn!_ " Y/N shouted, using her magic to throw him to the ground.

She stood up only to move over and kneel beside him, using her powers to heal the burns on his palms. "Why would you do that?!"

"I needed....I just had to."

" _Álainn_ -"

"Don't call me that!" Lucifer barked. Shifting away from her touch as though it caused him more pain than the charred flesh of his hands. But she didn't listen. She healed him and then hovered over his face, the look in her eyes was not pity nor was it damnation....Y/N looked at him as though she knew him much better than he knew himself.

"I will call you that because that is what you are."

"Let's just get this over with," he growled, shoving her aside and standing up once more.

 

 


	3. Circle IX: Treachery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The levels of Hell are loosely based on Dante's Divine Comedy.

Y/N grasped his hand and Lucifer had to mentally tell himself not to flinch from her touch. In the back of his mind he knew she posed no threat, but he was still cautious. He waited for her to complain about the cold, but the sharp intake of breath and shivers never came. If anything she grasped his hand tighter. " _Álainn,_ are you ready?" she asked quietly.

Lucifer nodded his head but watched her intently. Y/N stretched her arm out in front of her, closed those beautiful eyes, and began to whisper words in a language he could not understand. His father's knowledge struggled to translate the lyrical phrases and in the end failed. Shifting fractals exploded into a spectrum of light that engulfed them completely. Lucifer instinctively wrapped his large body around her and held her tight, taking the brunt of the fall against his back.

They bounced until they were eventually stopped by something that jutted out of the frozen ground. A chunk of dark ice lay beneath him. Y/N grunted and he now saw what she meant by becoming a beacon of light. She was positively radiant. He now understood what mortals must feel when they looked upon an angel's true form. "Where are we?" Lucifer asked.

Y/N jumped into a seemingly endless frigid lake and Lucifer thought his heart stopped beating. He hated how weak he felt without his powers. She offered her hand. "You can't stay here forever,  _Álainn._ We are in the heart of the Ninth Circle, the one reserved for those who have committed acts of betrayal. It is different for everyone, but yours is of ice to represent the treachery of your actions against those who loved and trusted you. Let us hope that your lesson is learned here so that we may pass to the next circle."

"Gabriel was a coward who chose to look away while I was abandoned by my father!"

"If your story is not as simple as others make it seem, why do you assume his is any different?" she questioned. Lucifer wanted to throw a tantrum that would bring this realm down, but he was just barely a level above being mortal. He said nothing as he slid from the ice and into the water below. If he was cold, then she must be near freezing to death. Could the dead freeze to death? He shrugged and tried to catch up to her.

"The mortals believed that this was your prison, not the cage. They believed that you were sent here because of your act against God. Tell me,  _Álainn -_ if not Gabriel or the others, who have you betrayed the most?"

Chills racked Lucifer's vessle and his teeth began to chatter. He never  _felt_ so vividly before. Even during his stint as a human, the emotions and senses were muted. But this felt raw and punishing, which was fitting. Lucifer finally caught up to her and was surprised to see Y/N smile. "How are you not bothered by all of this?" he asked.

"Because I am happy."

"Why?"

"I have traveled through the underworld many times, but I am happy that the last time I will do so is to save my mate. It is the greatest honor for my people and one I do not intend to taint with fear or bitterness over my fate," Y/N stated simply. He was baffled by her bravery...or stupidity, he wasn't exactly sure just yet. But anyone who would risk their existence to save him was clearly unstable.

He felt his muscles begin to stiffen. Just breathing hurt. His eyes took in her features as they looked on in horror as the cavernous space brightened by her light. Souls clung to icebergs and floated upon the surface. He was forced to push several frozen figures aside so that they could continue on. Y/N's light began to dim and Lucifer panicked. "What's wrong?"

"The longer it takes for you to acknowledge your greatest betrayal, the faster the realm consumes us. No door waits on the other side of this lake, Lucifer. There are no secret passages. Only acceptance and repentance."

"What happens if I can't accept it?"

She touched his cheek and Lucifer bit back a wince at how cold her fingers were. He missed the warmth of her hand and the comfort he had found when her power surrounded him, but none of that existed here. His selfishness was causing her pain and for some reason that meant more than his own suffering. Lucifer pressed himself against her, trying to keep her above the surface.

Her voice was shaky when she said, "We fade. Because we are not human, we merge with Oblivion until we are nothing but darkness within darkness."

Lucifer couldn't handle the thought of her light dying. He framed her face with his hands and looked deeply into her eyes. His heart beat slowly as the cold settled into his bones and he uttered the words he never dared to speak out loud.

"Myself. The person I betrayed the most...is myself."

Her smile was the most breathtaking sight he had ever witnessed. She glowed from the inside out, her power swelling until he was blinded by the light. When he opened his eyes, Lucifer was kneeling in a field of green. Y/N stood in front of him and he wrapped his arms around her middle. He pressed his forehead to her belly and breathed in the scent of her, allowing it to fill his senses until he knew nothing else. Lucifer purred when he felt the soothing prickle of her nails scraping against his scalp.

"Tell me, _Álainn._ "

"Tell you what?"

"Why you believe that you betrayed yourself the most."

He snorted. Lucifer never expected someone to ever ask why he damned himself. Everyone assumed that he was content with the chaos and destruction he wrought, but that was not true. It was all just a side effect of the truth. He cleared his throat and rubbed circles into her lower back. "Because everything that happened to me was my own fault and yet I blamed my father and my brothers for everything wrong. I was the first angel to feel free-will. The first to question the divine plan."

"And the betrayal?"

> _Lucifer was flung to the end of the hall, crashing into the wall by the force of Gabriel's power._
> 
> _"Luci, I'm home," Gabriel taunted._
> 
> _He was on his feet in an instant, stalking toward his pesky brother. But he stopped, watching as Gabriel stood toe to toe with him to save a goddess and those two baboons wrapped in flannel. It was a sacrifice that Lucifer would never have thought to see his brother make. Gabriel had always been the selfish brother, the problematic child that caused trouble whenever he didn't get his own way._
> 
> _But that wasn't true. Gabriel just didn't want to kill his family. Gabriel knew love while Lucifer had been cursed with free-will._
> 
> _"They are broken flawed abortions!"_
> 
> _"Damn right they're flawed. But a lot of them try. To do better. To forgive....and you should see the Spearmint Rhino. I've been riding the pine a long time, but I'm in the game now. And I'm not on your side or Michael's. I'm on theirs."_
> 
> _"Brother don't make me do this," Lucifer pleaded._
> 
> _"No one makes us do anything."_
> 
> _"I know you think you're doing the right thing, Gabriel. But I know where your heart truly lies..." Lucifer spun and buried the angel blade into his brother. The light of Gabriel's grace washed over them and Lucifer was filled with profound guilt and sadness. He felt what he thought was the last of his purity die with his brother. And he became the creature everyone feared._

"The betrayal is that I allowed my anger and hatred to cloud my judgement. I had broken free of my obedience and that should have been enough. If anything, I admired Gabriel. He left and made his own world while I played into the role of the villain my father painted me as....I tried to end the world and kill my brothers because it would kill me in the process. I did not want the option of rising again. I wanted it all to end....I wanted fatality."

Her small hands tilted his head up so that she could look into his soulful blue eyes. "And do you forgive yourself of this treachery?"

"Not yet...but I'm hoping you could teach me."

* * *

 

Sam and Dean slammed several large volumes onto the table along with a few files. Adam was still unconscious and currently chained up in a devil's trap until they could confirm it was really him. Castiel left several hours ago and hadn't returned. Dean was getting a little antsy and it was driving Sam insane. "Dude, he's an angel at full power. He'll be fine."

"Did you see the news, Sammy?!"

"Of course, Dean."

"Then you know that NOTHING is fine. Nothing will ever be fine after this. Freakin' monsters -not our kind of monsters, may I add- are running through the streets and bringin' down a world of hurt!"

Sam rolled his eyes and ignored his brother, choosing to do something actually useful -like research. He sifted through book after book in the library, spend hours in the archives, and still he found nothing. A loud bang followed by an eerie shout of alarm had Sam rushing back to the war room. Castiel was in a heap on the floor, holding his side. Sam helped him into one of the chairs and looked over his injury. It was unlike any claw marks, stab wounds, slices, bullet holes, or anything else he was used to identifying.

The flesh around the gash was burned and ashen, but looked more like a rip than whatever else he could come up with. It was wrong. Just wrong. It didn't fit his logic, so he called for Dean. His brother surprised him by nearly tripping over himself trying to get to Castiel as quickly as possible. "Damn it, Cas," Dean breathed.

"I was swarmed. Creatures with...black eyes and transparent skin came at me from all angles. Their fangs dripped with venom....barbed tails....pointed snouts....and....wings. Like a bat, but....more horrifying. Their bodies looked human."

"Ever heard of somethin' like that?" Dean asked Sam.

"Never." Sam's face pinched into a frown and he looked over at the useless pile of lore scattered throughout the bunker. Everyone tensed when Adam appeared in the doorway. The youngest of John Winchester's sons leaned against the frame, staring daggers into their heads. Sam shifted uncomfortably on his heels. 

"No....don't apologize. Why would you do that? I'm just the brother neither of you wanted and the one you were more than willing to sacrifice to save each other," Adam said dryly, sarcasm dripping from every word. "Let's get one thing clear, shall we? I'll only help you because I know doing so will save Lucifer."

"Why would you want to save that jackass?" Dean snapped.

"Because while you two were up here saving everyone but me, Lucifer's little games were the only thing that kept my soul from being corrupted into a demon. No matter how much I would have loved to come up here and raise a little hell for you to clean up, I decided to preserve what little humanity I have left. But don't fret. All that time with the devil taught me a few tricks."

Sam and Dean looked at one another, suddenly unsure if Adam was the right person to bring back from Hell.

Castiel didn't share their hesitance. "Did you see Y/N?"

"The Scáthán?"

"Yes," Castiel confirmed. "She is a friend."

"Well, any friend of hers is a friend of mine." Adam walked over to Castiel as though he was going to shake his hand. Instead, he punched the angel square in the face -adding insult to injury. Dean pulled Adam back and shoved him into a wall. "That was for burning up my body, you asshole!"

"You were possessed by Michael. I had no choice."

"Yeah, I was just another human casualty in war that was pointless in the end anyway." Adam shrugged off Dean's hold and pinned his brother with a look that could kill. "Treachery, Fraud, Violence, Heresy, Anger, Greed, Gluttony, Lust, and the non-believers. The three of you would fit in perfectly in the Circles of Hell. And the funny part is, one of the worst circles is reserved for those who betray their brothers. Thought it was appropriate for the descedants of Cain and Abel."

"We've both spent our time in Hell, kid!" Dean argued.

Adam laughed it off. "I make your stints in Hell look like a weekend holiday. Don't play the 'kid' act with me, Dean. We both know which of us handled it better anyway."

The room fell silent. No one could or _would_ argue Adam's points. He took their quiet as a small victory and looked closer at Castiel's wound. "While she healed me, Y/N whispered something about the Codex de Scátháni. She said they were chronicles of her people's history scattered throughout the universe, hidden in sacred temples. There are six total and they are the key to fixing this mess."

"So, we're going on a scavenger hunt?" Dean snorted. "Should make you nerds happy."

Adam turned to him with a grim expression. "If you want your little feathery boyfriend to live, you might want to put away the ego and get to work tracking down the codex."


	4. Circle VIII: Fraudulant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel pays a visit and Lucifer embarks on a another adventure.
> 
> *In this story, Gabriel was never captured by Asmodeus*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FYI: You can skip the Lucifer/Reader portions of the story if it's not your cup of tea. The alternate plot works as a story on its own and visa versa.

"What did you do?!" a voice boomed. Gabriel appeared in the library. The Gabriel they all thought had been killed by Lucifer back when the world was ending in a different way. He looked...well. More than well if the bulging eyes of Sam Winchester were of any indication. He had to snap his jaw shut to keep his mouth from hanging open. Gabriel stood in the library in a tight sweater and a pair of slacks that made Sam want to tear them off of his body. It was the first time Sam had ever looked at the arch angel with anything other than amusement, hatred, or annoyance....as far as Dean was aware.

Unlike his brother, Sam's attraction to Gabriel had been instant. Back when they knew him as a janitor it had been impossible to wipe the dopy grin off his face every time Gabriel had looked in his direction. There was just some sort of magnetism about the angel that set his blood on fire. Sam blushed and looked down at the book in his hand. Gabriel stomped over and turned the chair with a surprising amount of strength that reminded Sam of just how powerful the celestial being was. This wasn't just a hot guy he could ogle in secret. "Come on, Sammy. Every time somethin' this big goes down, you two are to blame."

Beautiful golden eyes stared into his eerie, multi-colored gaze with an intensity that stole the air from Sam's lungs. Dean cleared his throat and Gabriel took a step back, respecting the "big brother" authority -it was the only thing those two could agree on.

"Actually, this time it wasn't our fault," Dean snapped. "At least not entirely."

Adam chose that moment to walk into the room. He patted Dean on the shoulder and said, "You're boyfriend is awake." Dean flushed like a school girl and stammered out a protest that did nothing but further Adam's amusement. "By the way, you and Sam are definitely to blame for all of this. If you hadn't put me, Michael, and Lucifer in the cage together the Scáthán wouldn't be traveling through the Nine Circles of Hell."

"We had to do something to end the apocalypse!"

Gabriel snorted and twirled around in way that said ' _good job with that!'_ Sure enough, the end of the world had come and gone too many times to keep track of. He flicked his gaze back to Sam and watched the giant turn redder than a cartoon devil's ass. Gabriel quirked a finely arched brow and saw the color deepen. Something was definitely up with that. He moved closer and leaned into Sam's personal space. For a second, he was struck by the scent of freshly washed fabric, fruity shampoo, and a sweetness that was all Sam.

It made Gabriel's mouth water. He bit back a groan as images of unspeakable things flashed through his mind of all the dirty little scenes he wanted to play out with Sam. Gabriel never suspected Sam had a thing for angels -that seemed to be a Dean sort of thing. Or maybe he just had a thing for Gabriel. "Angel got your tongue, Sambo? Or are you just hoping I will."

That chiseled face blanched and Sam struggled to get even a single word out. A delectable dimple winked at Gabriel and he fought the urge to run his tongue down the side of the human's face. When Sam finally regained his composure, something akin to anger appeared in his eyes. "I thought you were dead, Gabe. I'm just shocked you're even here."

Gabriel stood up with a grand gesture, his arms wide and bright smile on his face. Mischief sparkled in his eyes and he gave a little happy dance. "Live and in the flesh. Long story, though. And I don't really feel like getting into it with the two of you just yet. But we have a serious problem, fellas."

"Ya think?" Dean barked.

"You don't know the half of it. Walls are fallin', boys. Heaven ain't lookin' too pretty right about now. There's talk of something called the Draoi Dorcha bustin' loose and taking everything in existence out in one fluid strike. What you boys have encountered so far is just a leak. Imagine what's going to happen when the damn comes crashing down," Gabriel stressed. The three Winchester brothers all stood at least ten feet away from each other. He rolled his eyes childishly and grumbled.

Nothing good ever came from a Winchester family feud. Sam was about three seconds from punching Dean and Dean was about two seconds from decapitating Adam for his little outburst about his crush on Castiel. And Adam was just downright bloodthirsty when it came to his brothers. They were absolutely useless like this. "Alright, clearly you hulking lumberjacks have your minds on other things. How about a break, huh? I'll take Sammy and we can start zappin' around to find the codex. Dean can go with Cassie to hunt down some lore. And Adam can hold down the fort here. He's been through enough as it is, let him do the light reading this time."

Adam looked over at the table where large tombs sat in piles. There would be no  _light_ reading to find where the codexes were hidden.

* * *

 

 _"Álainn,_ we must move on _."_ You whispered into Lucifer's ear and he scrunched his face up. In his weakened state it was required for him to sleep. You ran your fingers through his tufts of blond hair as he snuggled into your side. Sometime after stopping to rest in the pocket realm, Lucifer had wrapped himself around you. Whether the action was conscious or subconscious was still questionable. He seemed to be drawn to you, to seek comfort in your strength and your affection.

His large body shivered from the cold that still somewhat lingered in his bones, it was a cold that would never warm. The Circles of the Inferno changed the soul. The lessons learned were ones that must be carried for all time. " _Álainn,"_ you whispered once more. He cracked open an eyelid and the bluest gaze bore into your iridescent stare. But he did not let you go, if anything he pulled you tighter against his chest. You smiled down at him, allowing the light of your essence to wash over you both.

"We must go. Time is running out."

Lucifer sighed and helped pull you to your feet. He had been quiet since the first circle and it was not hard to understand why. It was difficult to reflect upon ones shortcomings, to face the darkness that marred the soul. You grabbed his hand and tangled his fingers with yours. With the powers of your ancestors, you spell-cast a portal and ripped open the barriers to step onto the bridge that connects the Bolgias. Lucifer stiffened. Fraudulence was one of his greatest sins, for he was the serpent in the Garden of Eden that damned humanity.

"All of the falsifiers, hypocrites, false prophets, seducers, flatterers, thieves, and counterfeits." You pointed to the 10 Bolgia as you slowly crept across the bridge. A loud, horrid screech sounded from the shadows and Lucifer grabbed your arm to stay your movements. He pressed a finger over his lips, but you knew it was pointless. The creature that dwelled in this circle could hear your greatest lies rattling around in your conscience.

He looked around, searching for the sound of flapping wings on the wind. Souls writhed in the depths, screaming out confessions ot the beast that lurked here. You gripped Lucifer's hand and continued on. "Confess to me,  _Álainn."_

"I have nothing to confess."

His response stopped you in your tracks. If he continued to stay in denial, both of you would be trapped in the Inferno. You turned and walked yourself into his arms, watching as his eyes softened. His calloused fingers stroked your face and you ran your fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck to pull him forward. Lucifer came willingly, connecting his lips with yours as he drank in the taste of rainwater upon your lips. It was a unique trait you had always possessed.

The kiss deepened as you tried not to lose yourself in Lucifer. His kiss was addictive. Luscious and seductive, just enough softness to make your heart flutter and just enough bite to make you lust for more. He seemed to cherish each pass of your tongue against the seam of his lips. And when he opened for you, physical lightening danced around the two of you. His appearance slightly altered to that of the Scáthán. His hair turned white and his eyes began to lose their color.

But you broke the kiss. Lucifer returned to his normal appearance as you placed your hands on his chest and pushed him into the chasm below. Darkness engulfed your mate and you stood upon the bridge alone. You turned to face the Geryon. It crashed onto the bridge and stalked toward you, but you raised a glowing hand and halted its movements. The light of your internal fire seemed to soothe the beast. Much like Lucifer had done, the creature nuzzled you.

You caressed its flowing mane and petted its horns, moving around its side and humming a melodic tune that your people used to tame the wilds of your home-world. It purred beneath your touch and you climbed upon its back. Together, you flew into the depths of Lucifer's sins and watched as scenes of his greatest falsities echoed in the darkness. Like a knight upon a heroic steed, you swept him up and soared as high as you could. When Lucifer broke through the darkness he inhaled a sharp breath.

Horrid cries ripped from his chest as he sobbed against your back. You turned your head to kiss his temple. " _Álainn?"_

Lucifer's voice was distant as he answered, "I took him. I lied to him, used his family against him so that I could be free. Nick didn't deserve it. He was a good soul just trying to get justice for his family. His wife and child were murdered and I used that to trick him into accepting my possession....maybe they're right. Maybe I am the monster they say I am..."

The portal to the next pocket realm opened and you flew right through it. You grabbed lucifer and jumped from the Geryon, tucking and rolling across the ground to keep from being injured. Lucifer was bleeding from his fall, but it was naive to think that he would make it through this journey unscathed. You crawled over to him and used what little power you had on reserve to heal his wound. It scarred, for the wounds one sustained in the Inferno were meant to be worn as a symbol of pain and redemption.

You traced it with the tip of your finger. " _Álainn,_ you become less of a monster with each circle we pass. Forgiveness is not the answer, but it is a place to start. You may be forced to face these souls that you have wronged. So, you must be ready."

Lucifer reached out for you and you could not deny him. Seeing the legendary fallen angel reduced to a whimpering mess was...terrifying. If the sins against Lucifer were enough to make the Inferno consume him, there may not be hope.It was discerning to know that the most vile Circles of Hell would be the easiest for him to endure. "Be strong, Lucifer. You must always have courage and be honest in your actions. We are on a path of redemption and it will only become harder for you."

 


	5. Circle VII: Violence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bit of backstory, bit of fluffy stuff, and some action.

"After what I went through in the other two circles...I miss the cage," Lucifer confessed. "Never thought I would say it, but it's true. The cage was my own little corner of Hell, but this...having to face the things that I've done..." He shrugged. There were no words to describe the sensation. Though the journey through each circle seemed brief, it was as though each sin that he had committed was met with an unending amount of pain that was tenfold the original crime.

"Even the Devil sympathizes with the souls condemned to spend an eternity in Hell," she said. Lucifer turned toward her and was once again struck by her beauty as though it was the first time he looked upon her. Creatures like her should never have been killed. Though he knew very little about her kind, what he did know made him admire her.

“Ànoli hańthal dothiri Scáthán.”  _Teach me the ways of the Mirror._

Y/N looked at him with surprise. He suspected no living being had spoken even that amount of her native tongue in eons. His pronunciation was not the best if her furrowed brow was any indication, but she seemed to appreciate his efforts. Y/N smiled widely and nodded her head.

"Some of the words my brethren and I once used were taken from the languages we heard in Ireland. But _Ànoli hańthal dothiri_ is ours alone. I am impressed." Her eyes twinkled the in light of the three moons that hung high up in the crimson sky. This pocket realm was something of great beauty, but it paled in comparison to her lovely features.

"Will you teach me?"

"Ëtihani is our true nature. We have a transparency to us outside of our world because we are merely a reflection of pure energy...or at least I am. It's still painful to remember that I was the last of my people."

Lucifer pulled Y/N into his lap to comfort her. It was a strange feeling. He never felt the need to comfort anyone before, but now he did so without hesitation. Perhaps she was already changing him. Lucifer did not know if that was for the best. Should he be afraid of losing himself in her? "What's your world like?"

"My world is flat," she chuckled. "Rivers of pearly water flow over the edge and into the spectrum of color that fills the void, bursting into starlight. The winged Ëtihani would fly above the treetops to protect those who were weaker. Black sands lined the riverbanks and glittered like obsidian. Crystal bridges connected islands to the capitol....it was beautiful."

"Where does Draoi Dorcha and his creatures come from?"

Y/N sighed and wrapped her arms around his neck to rest her cheek on his shoulder. "The legend of my people is that he was the first king. A beloved ruler that had sacrificed himself to save us from extinction once before. He absorbed tainted energy within himself and was corrupted by dark magic. It twisted him, turned him into a monster that only wanted to destroy. When I was first created, I remember looking beyond my home and seeing a dark scar in void. It was a portal to the place where my father, the new king, had exiled Draoi Dorcha and his army."

Lucifer felt her stiffen. "What is it?"

"We must go. The next trial awaits."

He didn't let her go right away. "Which one is it?" he asked.

"Violence."

* * *

You felt the throb of power flowing through you as you opened the gateway into the Seventh Circle. Fiery rain fell from the sky. From where you stood upon the scorching sands, you could see see all. A pit of boiling blood, hounds feeding upon souls, and Harpies praying on trees of damnation. Fire burned everywhere. Horrid screams of tortured souls bellowed through the air.

The skin at the bottom of your feet stung from the desert sands as your eyes searched for Lucifer. He fought against a harpy that attempted to drag him into the pit of boiling blood. You jumped into action, summoning your power and exploding into a bright light. The harpy screeched and dropped Lucifer, but it recovered quickly. "Go! You must continue, I'll hold them off."

"I'm not leaving you behind!" Lucifer yelled.

"You don't have a choice!"

He wanted to protest, but he knew you were right. You shoved him forward and spun to face the harpy. Her taloned claws and enormous wings were an advantage in the scuffle, but you were not helpless. You dropped low and slid between her legs. She howled as you shot a pulse of light at her back and sent her sprawling across the ground. Her eyes snapped with rage and she charged you, kicking up hot sand that burned your skin.

Fire licked at your arm and the harpy took advantage. She twirled in the sky and then dove for you, knocking you over. Pain shot up your side as blackened, charred flesh oozed just above your hip. You rolled to safety and stamped out the fire. Her long, flowing red hair whipped in the blazing winds. You summoned a sword with your magic and furiously slashed at the harpy. She reared back and attempted to retreat from the glowing ethereal blade, but your attack was relentless.

Two more harpies joined the fight and you were quickly overwhelmed. They circled you like vultures, striking when you least expected. You were able to dodge most of their advances, but gashes were torn into your legs and arms. The heat of the Seventh Circle was unbearable, but you fought on. Lucifer needed you. The human world needed you. One of the harpies tossed you into the air and you nearly plummeted in the boiling pit.  When you climbed back to your feet, they descended upon you with pure hatred.

Their leader struck fast and you evaded her attack, but the second harpy cackled as she sank her talon right into your chest. From somewhere in the distance you heard Lucifer cry out in anguish. You looked to him.

He crawled from the pit, trying to make his way over to you as manifestations of those he had killed tried to pull him under. Tears streamed from your eyes as the world grew quiet. Time stood still. You took a deep breath and used your power to send him into the next pocket realm instead of heal yourself. Lucifer screamed once more and you felt the hole in your heart widen.

The harpy flew away. You fell to the ground and gulped down mouthfuls of air until darkness swarmed your vision. The last thing you heard before being lost to the shadows was the sound of Lucifer calling out for his father's help.

* * *

Castiel grabbed Dean's arm and pointed to the sky. Another tear broke through the clouds. Dean cursed and lifted Castiel into his arms, being mindful of his injury and ran into a condemned building. He set down his angel and barricaded the door with some heavy chemical barrels that had been sitting off to the side. Dean looked back at Castiel to see if he was alright.

Castiel lifted his once-white dress shirt and showed that the wound had not gotten better. "Dean, I'm afraid I won't make it in this condition. You have to carry on without me."

"Like hell I will. Garth said we'll find a book on parallel dimensions at the library here in town so that's where we're goin'. Me and you. So I don't wanna hear this  _go on without me_ crap. Stop bein' a hero."

"You cannot deny that I am slowing you down. Besides, look at me," Castiel said in exasperation. "Do I look like I'm getting any better?"

"Look fine to me." Dean wanted to gut himself. He couldn't believe he let those words fall from his mouth. "I mean, you look better than you did lyin' in that bed back at the bunker."

Castiel cocked his head curiously. Dean hated when he did that, it made him want to kiss that expression right off his face. He kicked one of the barrels instead and stomped over to the window covered in plastic. Through the grease streaks, Dean was able to see what was going on outside and it wasn't good. Creatures torn right out of his beloved childhood comic books were slaughtering people as they ran for their lives. Dean felt helpless.

"The only way to save everyone is to see this through," Castiel reasoned. Dean hated that he was right.

"Doesn't me I have to be alright with watchin' this stuff go down, Cas."

He moved to help his angel off the ground. Dean shoved his shoulder beneath Castiel's and pulled him to his feet. The warmth of his body made Dean want to push him against the wall and do things that would have them both panting like they ran a marathon. And when Castiel turned that impossibly blue gaze on him, Dean almost had the courage to close the gap between them. But there was too much history. Too much betrayal, unrequited love, and...pain between them to cross that line.

Or at least in Dean's mind that was the case. Castiel apparently had other ideas, for he brought his hand up and placed it at the nape of Dean's neck. Dean felt himself being tugged down toward Castiel's lips and he was helpless to stop it. His heart raced a million miles an hour as every fantasy he ever had since meeting the celestial being was coming to life. Soft, but firm lips brushed his and he groaned. Dean gripped Castiel's hip with his other hand and pulled his body flush against his.

Castiel made a little noise that had Dean's head spinning, but he had to move away to suck air into his lungs. When he returned to the kiss, his angel slipped his tongue against the seam of his lips and Dean's eyes rolled into the back of his head. He opened and felt the exploration and teases tickle. Only when Castiel made a sound akin to pain and not pleasure did Dean ease back a bit.

"Why did you do that, Cas?" he asked, his voice much huskier than it had been before the kiss. Pink, tempting lips floated just inches from his face and Dean had to consciously tell himself to show restrain. Castiel had no idea what he had done. Now that Dean had a taste of his angel, there was no going back.

"If either of us died on this mission, I wanted it to be worth it. We've died and came back so many times, but I can't help but think that there won't be any resurrections this time. And I don't want to die knowing that I could have known you like this, but never had the courage to let you know how I feel. I love you, Dean. And not like a brother or a friend. I've loved you for a long time."

Dean's face was bright red. He looked away bashfully. The timing was wrong, of course. With the Winchesters the timing was always bad. Nothing could ever be done the simple way. But Castiel was right again. There was no use in continuing to live a lie when they could be living the greatest love story he had ever known. It was a long time coming. He was done with denying who he really was. He was done living with regret and seeing the looks of disappointment on Castiel's face every time he failed to make a move.

But Castiel had taken that leap for them and he felt free. "I love you too, Cas. I always have."

 

 


	6. Circle VI: Heresy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucifer/You and Sabriel.

Lucifer knelt in the center of the forest floor. The realm was unnaturally quiet and the solitude was driving him insane. He missed her. He missed Y/N. Her scent, her taste, her smile, her laughter, and the sound of her voice. Lucifer wanted his mate back. He felt the loss of her like no other. Hours or days or weeks went by and second he prayed to his creator. 

"Hello, Lucifer," a voice said behind him. Lucifer stood to face the one that had abandoned him and all of the others. His father had given him the ability to _feel_ and _think_ for himself, but stood by and watched him descend from grace for exactly those reasons. Lucifer's ability to feel and think was what allowed him to question his father. Angels like Castiel were proof of what could happen when an angel was given freewill. And Lucifer had been the first.

"Give her back to me."

"I can't do that, son. Y/N is not one of my creations. I have no power over her," God replied.

"But she is my mate. You have power over me and her magic flows through me, which means....you can use it to bring her back. Y/N isn't supposed to die, that's not how this was supposed to end."

"All things must come to an end."

"BUT NOT HER!" Lucifer roared. "I'm finally doing the right thing. I'm finally saving your precious humans and you turn your back on me once again?! What a benevolent being you are, Father. It wasn't enough to make me the only angel capable of questioning you. It wasn't enough to punish me for it and exile me to a cage. It wasn't enough to make me into a monster. You stood by and watched as everything fell apart. Do this ONE thing for me."

"Reality is conditional, Lucifer. I gave you hell so that you would not harm humanity and you did everything in your power to bring upon the apocalypse. You tried to kill your brothers, you sat in the throne of Heaven and killed under the guise of a false god, and you laughed in my face every time I offered you forgiveness." God reached out to touch Lucifer, but he recoiled.

"Don't do it for me then! Do it for her! She has done nothing to deserve dying in the Inferno. Not in Violence. Just...give her enough time to see this through. She doesn't have to know that she's dying...just....give us time," Lucifer begged. He would do it. He would beg his father for her life. Lucifer wasn't done with Y/N yet and he didn't think he ever would be.

"I'll give you time. She won't remember dying. But when the time is up...you have to let her go."

* * *

Sam felt heavy weight on his chest and horrendous memories of being in Lucifer's Cage came rushing through his mind. He fisted his hands in the comforter and sweat dampened his forehead. The weight shifted and fell into the contours of his body, but it wasn't...unpleasant. He remembered zapping out of the bunker with Gabriel, blushing like a teenage boy with a crush and then fighting off some of the creatures until...oh, yeah. Gabriel saved his life and brought him to a motel to heal.

He cracked open his eyelids and saw sleep-rustled golden locks falling over the most beautiful face he had ever seen. Sam's breath caught in his lungs and his heart began to beat faster. Gabriel's brow furrowed as if he sensed Sam's unease and he blinked those swirling honey eyes at him. The crooked smirk appeared almost instantly and Sam couldn't help reached up and touching the softness of Gabriel's angelic face. The angel eyed him curiously, but didn't make the moment embarrassing or uncomfortable for Sam. He actually nuzzled into the large palm stroking his face.

There was a lot that passed through them. They had a complicated history, but at their core, they were the same. Sam and Gabriel were the disappointments. The sons who never lived up to their fathers' expectations and had chosen alternative different paths instead of following the family tradition. But somehow they both ended up exactly where they didn't want to be. Sure, Gabriel was an immortal being capable of reshaping the fabric of reality, but he was the one who just wanted to be normal -the one who loved his family even though it hurt to do so. Sam felt the same. He remembered how many times he stared into his father's disapproving face and felt like he would never be enough.

But here, in the crummy old motel bed, Gabriel felt more real than anything else in Sam's life. He felt warm and soft and safe. Gabriel curled himself around Sam and moved closer, just inches away from his face. Sam held his breath, expecting and hoping that the angel would kiss him and seal their fates, but he didn't. Gabriel avoided Sam's lips, but he pressed a kiss to his collarbone. Sam sucked in mouth full of air and felt his body shutter. Gabriel's touch was electric.

A small glow flared to life and Same looked just beyond Gabriel's physical form and saw a manifestation of wings. They were gold and...enormous, but not intimidating to him. They fascinated Sam. He reached out to stroke the feathers and Gabriel jumped from the bed. He ran his fingers through his hair and paced back and forth in front of the tv looking worried. "Not good...this is not good."

"Gabe? Calm down. Tell me what's wrong."

"My wings...can you see them?" Gabriel asked. Sam nodded his head, unable to look away from the marvelous sight.

"Can I touch them?"

Gabriel looked like he had been slapped in the face. Sam rushed over to his side to reassure him that he didn't mean to offend the angel, but an invisible force pushed him onto the bed. It was then that Sam realized that Gabriel had been sleeping on him...like actually sleeping. Angels didn't need sleep unless they were weakened. "Gabe, were you hurt in the fight?"

"Stop asking questions! I need to think!" Gabriel shouted. The sound of thunder clapped outside the window, mirroring Gabriel's emotions. "Something is wrong, Kid. We're supposed to find our mates in the order that we were created. It's to maintain a balance of power. If you're my mate....that means Luci and Mikey have already found theirs."

"Castiel said the Scáthán is Lucifer's mate....wait! I'm...I'm your mate?"

"I'm afraid so. You seeing my wings sort of gave it away. But it's rare, Sam. Most of us die long before we ever meet our destined match and some of us have more than one. You...you _saw_ my wings. That's...that's something special. Which -in retrospect- shouldn't surprise me at all that Sam Winchester is once again a very special boy-"

"Gabriel!"

"What?"

"You were rambling," Sam said. His cheeks were on fire and he had to make a conscious effort not to devour Gabriel with his eyes. The snug white shirt and jeans were hell on his libido. He wanted to tear the fabric off of that succulent body and taste every inch of the angel until he was wiggling beneath him and begging for mercy. Fingers snapped in front of Sam's face and he moved a pillow to his lap to conceal his erection, but Gabriel already caught sight of it.

"What? Do profound confessions of divine intervention get you going, Samshine?"

"N-no!" Sam replied. "You were just warm and....and soft. Those pants fit you like a dream...You smell like freshly baked cookies and summer rain. Shit! I'm sorry, Gabe. I'm still half asleep."

Gabriel quirked one of his whimsical brows. "Didn't know you were such a poet."

"Didn't know you were so afraid of commitment."

"Wait...what?" Gabriel came over to Sam and poked him in the chest. "Who said I'm afraid of commitment?"

Sam scuffed and tried to move off the bed once more, but Gabriel's power held him down. The usual panic that would have came over him was...gone. He didn't feel it with Gabriel. He felt a thrill run through him instead and licked his lips. Gabriel's eyes flashed with list and his nostrils flared. "Careful, Sammy. If I claim you and mark you as mine...there will be no going back. You will want no one else and you will have no one else. You will be MINE."

Gabriel climbed onto Sam's lap and Sam's brain short-circuited. Those generous curves and strong muscles were an erotic combination of all of his desires. He bucked his hips and hurried out an apology, not sure what was happening with his body. Sam was confused. He wasn't the type to feel so...lustful. A knock on the motel door stopped Gabriel from leaning down and kissing Sam until they were both out of their minds with desire.

Sam gave an adorable little pout when Gabriel climbed off his lap and went to check the door.

* * *

"Heresy? We can skip this one, can't we?" Lucifer asked as though he was bored. You walked with him, hand in hand, between the flaming tombs. Clouds of blackened smoke filled the sky as souls tried to escape their smoldering prisons. Lucifer was still very weak from the last trial and could barely walk a few feet without having to stop. There was no way you would make it through without healing him, but using your power could cause some VERY bad things to happen.

"We must continue," you told Lucifer. He pulled you back and wrapped his arms around you. His touch was soothing in the blistering heat of the Inferno. Lucifer smelled of freshly fallen snow and you took comfort in your mate. There was something different between the two of you now. Lucifer seemed even more affectionate. He was...tender and sweet toward you.

"This one is sort of redundant, sweetheart. I was the first heretic. What my father believed in and what the humans did to twist those beliefs and form their own religions...this is pointless."

You couldn't allow him to skip a circle or else everything would be ruined. He had to wear the scars of redemption or else he would never be able to be set free of his burdens. You closed your eyes and let your power heal his wounds. "Then protect me, _Álainn._ I am not a pillar of blasphemy the way you are, but my beliefs go against what your father built. And the creatures sent here to punish the heretics will come for the apostate that healed you."

Lucifer looked at you with alarm. He shoved you behind him as pale-faced creatures emerged from the black smoke. Their bodies were twisted and deformed as they crawled toward you and Lucifer. He spread his wings and prepared to fight. The mighty fallen angel tore through the creatures with his bare hands. You summoned your blade and tossed it to where he fought. Lucifer caught the sword and stood tall above the damned beings, appearing like the image of prophecy your people had spoken about for many years.

The great warrior of damnation wielding an etherial sword summoned from your forgotten realm. You watched as he battled in your honor. A hand gripped your ankle and you felt the flesh begin to tear and rot from your bones. The creature dragged you across the soiled ground and forced you into one of the tombs. When the lid closed and seal, you screamed out for your mate. Already you felt the walls of the tomb begin to grow warm.

You whispered a prayer in your native tongue, allowing the strength of your ancestors to flow through you. As the heat continued to climb, your glow began to fade. It was hard to breathe and smoke filled the tomb. Flames appeared along the edges of the lid and you struggled against it. Your magic was useless against the warding.

A strange feeling settled in your gut. There was something...familiar about dying. You've been fatally wounded before. Your physical body had been killed a few times, but never your pure form. No THIS form. But you had the distinct sense that you were supposed to remember something.

* * *

He severed the head of one of the slimy bastards that tried to claw his flesh from the bone. These....these weren't supposed to be here. None of the knowledge of his father or the texts of man spoke of such creatures. Lucifer heard a startled cry and watched as Y/N was locked into one of the fiery tombs.

Lucifer released a war cry and carved a path toward her, but the creatures multiplied. They snapped and clawed at his arms and legs. Lucifer used his wings send them flying through the air. He took to the sky and the creatures followed, sprouting bat-like wings of their own. He cursed loudly, diving straight down. The mindless guardians of the Sixth Circle trailed after him like a pack of rabid hell hounds.

He narrowly avoided hitting the ground, moving in time so that the creatures were engulfed in flames. Those that remained, he guided toward the tortured souls. The creatures squawked and screeched as the souls tore them apart. Lucifer returned to the tomb Y/N had been locked inside. He grabbed the lid and began to lift. It burned his hands, causing the skin to blister painfully. Lucifer used his wings and Enochian magic, but nothing would open the tomb. He attempted to stab the sword through, but the blade disappeared. Lucifer heard her screams.

Tears fell from his eyes. He just got her back, he couldn't lose her again.

With all of the strength he possessed, Lucifer devoured the damned souls in the Sixth Circle. He took them within his body and used the strength to tear the lid open. Y/N shot out of the flames and wrapped around him. She coughed and sputtered. He allowed the stolen souls to heal her before expelling them from his body. Y/N used the remnants of her energy to send them into the next realm. She refused to let Lucifer go and he wasn't willing to release his hold on her.

"You weaken me, Y/N."

"Only to build you up, Àlainn," she whispered. Lucifer thought he would crush her he held her so tight, but Y/N did not complain. She pulled back just far enough to brush the tears from his face and gently caress his lips with the pad of her thumb. Lucifer moved his hand to the back of her head and brought her mouth down to his. The sweet taste of her flavor mingled with ash and fire.


	7. Note From The Author

Hello, everyone.

I apologize for my recent absence from the series. More will be updated soon, I promise. There is a lot going on in my life right now, but I have not given up on this story. Please look forward to future chapters as we move toward the big battle and some serious romantic angst.

Respectfully,

EmpressInferno

P.S. Thank you for all the love and support.


	8. Don't Fight Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little shorter than the others, just because I didn't want to take away the intimate moment between the reader and Lucifer. 
> 
> WARNING: Smutty goodness with romance, praise-kink and emotional gravity.

"No more putting yourself in danger to prove a point," Lucifer demanded. "I can't....I can't handle the thought of something happening to you. I need you. I won't make it without you."

You lifted up onto your tiptoes and kissed his cheek. "I promise I will not do so unless it is necessary."

Lucifer gripped your hips and pulled your body flush against him. "It's never necessary. At least not anymore." He devoured your mouth with a recklessness that set your body aflame. His strong hands lifted you up and you wrapped your legs around his waist. The feel of his forked tongue delving into the depths of your mouth made heat pool between your thighs.

A gentle snow fell softly all around, fluttering to the ground and blanketing the vast landscape in white. Steam coiled from your mouth as you sucked air into your lungs before returning to his kiss. Lucifer laid you on the ice and you arched your back, pressing into his equally cold body through the fabric of his t-shirt. 

Lucifer's lifted his hand and, with a snap of his fingers, removed your clothing. His hands caressed the soft curves of your body as his teeth nipped at the delicate flesh of your bottom lip. A moan escaped your mouth and you pressed your thighs together, trying to feel some sort of friction. Lucifer moved away from your mouth to sink his teeth into the base of your throat and lick the sting away. He brushed his stubble against your shoulder, chafing the skin to mark you with his love.

You groaned and bucked into him. Lucifer pried your thighs open and slotted himself between your legs. He threw his head back and licked his lips as he thrust his erection in the crook of your thigh. The smug, ridiculously handsome smile appeared on his face once again and you scraped your nails down the length of his back. "More," you moaned huskily.

"Easy, puppet. You'll burn me up if you get any hotter."

"Please," you begged shamelessly, rolling your hips until the weight of his cock slipped against your folds, causing your legs to tremble. The snow and ice were forgotten and you tangled your hands in his hair, yanking his mouth back down to your own. Lucifer's fingers began to pet your mound, eliciting a growl from your mate when his hands were covering in your creamy essence. You wanted him now, but Lucifer was content to take his time with you.

Slow, teasing thrusts of his tongue into your mouth as the pressure of his heal pressed against your femininity. Light danced in your vision as you chased that delicious pressure. His breathy chuckle against your chest caused your heart to beat faster. A sharp bite to your nipple was followed by a scorching flick of his devilish tongue. "Please, please, please, please..." you gasped over and over. The coolness of his breath cascaded over your belly as he kissed his way to your navel.

Lucifer's wet, icy mouth soothed the heat rolling off of your body. He growled like a beast and settled between your thighs. He placed his thumbs on each side of your velvet-soft lips and spread you open for his eyes. Blush tinged your cheeks and you turned your head to look away. "Eyes on me, puppet."

You forced yourself to look down and smiled wickedly. He watched a bead of your essence drip from your sweet little center and flattened his tongue, swiping it up your slit just once. Your torso flew off the ground and your legs slammed shut, trapping him right where he wanted to be. Lucifer's thumbs stroked your folds as he closed his mouth over your sensitive clit and sucked. He blew on your clit and watched your channel clench and flutter right before his eyes as if you were blowing him kisses.

And he kissed you back. A wet, open-mouthed kiss that caused your legs to tremble. His eyes rolled back as he leaned forward to taste you deeper, hands pinning your hips to the ground. You tried to scramble away, but he was too strong. Your hands moved to his hair as you released a ragged cry, "Àlainn...I-I can't..."

"What do you want? Tell me what you need?" he rubbled against your weeping flesh.

"I need...oh, my..." You tensed as his tongue parted on either side of your clit and glided against the bundle of nerves. "More...more of you. I need more of you."

Your words caused his eyes to flair red in the bright light of the pocket realm. Lucifer's power mingled with yours and his wings exploded from his back. You shuddered at the sight of his glory. "You taste so sweet, Y/N. I'll never get enough of you..."

He ate you up like a starving man as you felt the blunt tip of his finger tickle the spasming entrance of your pussy before pushing in. You opened your legs wider and rocked against that finger. He curved it upwards and you screamed out. You looked down at his glowing crimson eyes and bit into the flesh of your wrist. "Mmmmm...nnn...ggggghhh..."

Lucifer eased off of your clit and stroked it with his thumb with his other hand. "I know you're close, Y/N. I can feel you....come on...let me watch you cum on my fingers...give it up..." Lucifer smacked your right thigh until a red handprint blossomed on your skin. "Don't you fight me...give it up.."

Your back bowed and you bit down on your wrist so hard that the taste of your magic exploded in your mouth. Lucifer sucked, licked, nibbled, and teased your tender flesh through the earth-shattering orgasm that threatened to consume the realm.

* * *

He pulled back and stared down at Y/N, grasping his erection and slowly pressing into her warm body. The tight, pulsating muscles gave and he sank into her depths with a guttural moan. She fit like a glove. 

_The harpy twirled in the sky and then dove for Y/N, knocking her to the ground. She screamed out in pain and summoned a sword with her magic and furiously slashed at the harpy._

_Two more of the bloodthirsty creatures joined the fight and Lucifer tried to climb from the pit to save her. She was quickly overwhelmed. They circled her she was unable to evade their attacks. Wounds appeared on her arms and legs. The harpies threw her up into the air. Lucifer called out...._

"Shhh...I'm here," she whispered, pulling him back to reality. Y/N was soft and pliant beneath him. Lucifer retreated from her molten core slowly before slamming back inside. She tightened around him as he set a brutal pace to their lovemaking that had her digging her nails into his hips. "Uhhhh....you feel..."

"Tell me how I feel, puppet." Lucifer's began to grind his pelvis into her clit as her stroked her deep. Liquid flooded between them as she struggled to stay conscious through the pleasure he demanded from her body.

"You feel so...thick and...right. Perfect." Her praise washed over him and Lucifer felt desire swirling in the pit of his stomach. She brushed her hands over his shoulders and chest whispering sweet words. "You're so good, my love."

_The harpy commander attacked once again and Y/N was fast enough to avoid being injured. But Y/N did not see the second harpy. It sank her talon right into the center of his mate's chest. Lucifer saw the blood drip from her plush lips and fought harder against the souls trying to pull him back into the pit...._

_No...no...no...no...._

"Yes! Ohh......just...just like that," she panted, squirming beneath him as Lucifer was caught between the memory of her dying and the feel of her now. He slowed his paced and zeroed in on the place inside of her that caused her skin to shift in enchanting rainbows. He licked her neck and then struck hard enough to break skin. Y/N's legs wrapped around his waist and he held on tight as the swell of her magic poured into him.

Y/N's fingers brushed against Lucifer's wings and he threw his head back with a roar. She ran her fingers through the feathers and massaged away his tension. Lucifer quaked as he lost himself within his mate.

"Àlainn....I love you," she whispered into the crook of his neck. Her toes curled and he knew she was close.

"That's it..." he cooed. Y/N shattered. Her screams reached down inside of Lucifer and pulled the orgasm from his body as though she demanded it.  
  
 _Lucifer met her stare from across the scorching sands and he_ _crawled from the pit, trying to get to his mate in time. a Heartbreaking scream escaped her lips and tears streamed from her eyes. A portal sucked him up, leaving her behind, and forcing him to live in the aftermath of her destruction. Lucifer fell into the abyss...her light was no more._

_Once again he was the disappointment, the monster..._

"Look at me," she said, gently kissing the corner of his mouth and chasing away the shadows. "Do not let those demons in. Not here, not between us. They cannot touch you, my love. You are brave and gentle and fearless."

That was not true. Lucifer feared the final stroke of the clock when her heart beat faded into oblivion and he was left alone.

 

 


	9. Circle V: Anger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucifer and Y/N travel through the Fifth Circle of Hell. Dean and Castiel face off with an interesting creature. Gabriel and Sam get an unexpected guest.

Gabriel waited for Sam to adjust himself before opening the door. An angel he thought had died long before the end of the world stepped inside of the motel room. Samandriel, also known as Alfie, regarded the archangel and the Winchester with suspicion. "Do I even want to know what I interrupted?" he asked accusingly. Gabriel wiggled his eyebrows while Sam tried his best to turn invisible in the corner. Samandriel eventually shrugged his shoulders and sat on the edge of the bed.

"To what do we owe the honor, Samanda?" Gabriel questioned sarcastically.

"You don't know?"

"If I did, I wouldn't have asked." Gabriel ignored Sam's pointed glare. He was being an ass, but -in his defense- he had be seconds from devouring the delicious morsel that was Sam Winchester before the angel showed up. "Get on with it.."

"He has returned. Our father has spoken to Lucifer."

The room went quiet. Gabriel had waited so long to see his father and the being somehow avoided him at every turn. In many ways, God had been to the angels what John Winchester had been to his sons...absent. After years of suffering, Gabriel hated his father for turning a blind eye. In the end, what was the point of teaching a lesson when his children needed him? Sam must have sensed his discomfort, for he came over and wrapped an arm around Gabriel's shoulder. "What is it, Gabe?"

"I...don't know how to feel about this."

"Why?"

"Because my father likes to show his face to only select individuals and then disappear on some secret agenda while the word crumbles. Parenting wasn't either of our dads' strong suits, believe me. You and I may be the disappointing sons, but we have every right to resent them for how they treated us. We were never good enough...never _Dean_ or  _Michael_. Never the perfect offspring that bowed to their will." Gabriel hadn't noticed that he returned Sam's embrace until Samandriel cleared his throat.

Sam turned to the young angel. "How did you find out about God returning?"

"I...am still in contact with Crowley."

"He tortured you!" Sam shouted incredulously. "Come to think of it, I can't recall anyone that I know that Crowley hasn't tortured in one way or another. You shouldn't trust him, Alfie."

"Our situation is complicated."

"And you believe him that God has returned?" Sam asked.

"Not until I snuck into heaven and saw him on the throne. God is back...but I don't think he will help us. He only returned because Lucifer's grace called out to him in a time of great need."

"Great need? He's in hell trying to reach our realm. The Scáthán is with him, what could he need?"

Samandriel hesitated before answering. "It was the sort of call that came with the loss of a mate. I believe the creature you speak of is dead."

Gabriel and Sam shared a look. "Then we are all doomed."

* * *

You stepped out of the portal and onto the bank of the river Styx. Lucifer came to stand beside you with wide eyes and face pale. You took in the sight of his tousled hair and stubbled jaw, wanting so much to drag him back into the pocket realm and have your way with him again. He caught you staring and gave you a heated look that made your heart pound in your chest. Phlegyas rowed to the shore to ferry them to the other side. You entered the vessel first.

Lucifer climbed in after you and Phlegyas pushed off of the sodden ground to propel the small boat forward. A dark, inky-black marsh came within view and you grabbed on to Lucifer's hand. He squeezed you in return and looked into the waters where the bloated faces of wrathful spirits dwelled. They began trying to pull the boat down. Phlegyas did nothing to prevent them from grabbing at the passengers. You could see the end up ahead just as Lucifer was yanked out of the boat and into the water.

He kicked and struggled, dragged deeper and deeper until you could no longer see him. You stepped onto the edge of the boat and dove into the water, glowing bright, causing the souls to grimace in your light. With the whisper of a smell in your mind, you were able locate Lucifer where the souls attempted to chain him down. He saw you and fought harder, but he was outnumbered and unable to use his wings. You expended your arm with your palm facing away from your body and pushed a pulse of energy, sending a shockwave toward the souls.

They were shoved to the depths of the river as you grabbed on to Lucifer, pulling him back to the surface with your magic wrapped around him. The other passengers seemed oblivious to the peril the two of you had faced. Souls continued to tug and snatch at Lucifer, but you held him. His back was to your chest as he sat on the floor of the boat, wedged between your legs. Lucifer's cold skin felt wonderful as he turned his head to kiss your neck. His large hands rubbed your legs, taking comfort in your nearness.

"Thank you," he whispered after a while.

"I am here for you, Álainn."

Lucifer turned around and pulled you into his lap, burying his face in the crook of your neck and kissing it tenderly. His reactions to the dangers of the underworld were not consistent with that of a creature who had spent the majority of his existence slaughtering, corrupting, and destroying. Even with the developments in your relationship, there seemed to be something hidden beneath his affection, something dark.

Though you did not mind his body pressed against you, it was hard to look beyond the fact that he held you as if it were the last chance he would get to do so. It was unsettling. Lucifer held you as though he was already in mourning. Like a man clinging to a ghost. Another flash of familiarity came over you. What happened after the Harpies had attacked you? How had you gotten to the pocket realm when you didn't remember casting a portal?

Little memories seemed to have vanished without explanation. Lucifer didn't have his usual abilities, so he could not be responsible. But it was a mystery that you didn't like. You wanted answers.

You and Lucifer exited the ferry and opened the gate on the shore as the boat continued down the river. "Where are they going?" Lucifer asked.

"Earth."

"What? Can't we go with?"

"We must finish all of the trials. There is no other way. No short cuts. We must earn your freedom."

* * *

The library was dark aside from the sparks flying from bursted lightbulbs. Dean helped Castiel maneuver between the cluster of decimated bodies on the ground. None of the computers worked, the screens crackling with white noise, but elevator music played over the loud speakers. Glass crunched beneath their boots as they slowly, carefully made their way over to the  _Alternative Religion/ Mythology_ section.

A strange growl stopped them in their tracks. Dean saw the tail-end of something from his nightmares and pushed Castiel against a shelf with his hand pressed over his mouth. "Shhh..." When the creature was out of sight, he whispered, "you ever see the 2004 Hellboy movie?"

Castiel shook his head against the weight of Dean's hand.

"Well, there's this demon named Sammael. Like...real freaky stuff, man. Blue with a bunch of eyeballs and tentacle things." Dean visibly shivered. "Pretty much unkillable and can regenerate." He lowered his hand.

"You speak of The Desolate One?"

"Thought you haven't seen the movie?"

Castiel rolled his eyes and planted a swift kiss on Dean's cheek. "There is more to the lore than Scooby-Doo, comic books, and your father's journal. Movies can be helpful at times, but they are mostly useless. My knowledge of _Samael_ is from scripture. Though the angel has been known to take may forms, I do not know of the one you described."

"Angel? I though he was a demon?"

Castiel simply shook his head, gritted his teeth and attempted to distract the creature while Dean searched for the book Garth had recommended. He hobbled over to a book shelf and pushed it over. The loud crash alerted the damned beast to their presence and it came rushing toward the angel in the blink of an eye. Castiel flashed his wings, but the injury in his side still weakened his grace. The creature startled, but only for a moment before expanding its own set of jagged wings.

He heard Dean curse from where he stood searching the shelves. Castiel darted as quickly as he possibly could through the aisles. Bookshelves toppled over behind him like a row of dominos. He stopped when he came upon a wall blocking his path. Castiel was trapped. He couldn't move to the left or the right as those enormous wings caged him in. Dean must have found the book because a shout of excitement came from the other end of the library.

Before the creature could sink its claws into the angel, Dean stabbed and slashed at it with his knife. The blade, of course, did very little damage to the otherworldly beast. Together, they fought against the thing for what felt like hours. Their arms were heavy from exertion, their lungs burning from harsh blows to their sternums and abdomens. Castiel felt his wound tear open a little more and let out a shriek. Dean put his all into the fight, ducking the claws that swiped past his face and pummeling his fists into the creature when his knife broke.

A bright flash of light filled the library and the creature went limp. Standing in its place was...

"Chuck?" Dean asked in astonishment. He looked both annoyed and relieved, which was yet another thing only Dean Winchester could master. Castiel stood shocked by the sight of his creator. As always, seeing the being was always something that made him feel humble and...violated in a way. It was never what he expected but always more than he ever dreamed.

"Hello, Castiel."

"Hello, Father."

"Dude...nice entrance."

"Nice to see you too, Dean," Chuck said. "I came to tell you that I have returned. What that means exactly, I cannot tell you. But I wish to inform you that Crowley has begun searching for the Codex de Scátháni."

 

 

 


	10. How I Found You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is a "let's catch up" chapter that exposes some of the mating pairs as well as some plot details. Also, some hot NSFW moments.

The door to the bunker creaked open as Adam looked up from the book he had been squinting over for hours. Dean and Castiel limped inside, accompanied by God himself. Though the all-knowing all-creating divine being stood a mere few feet from Adam Milligan, he didn't stand up and show respect or kneel before him. Adam leaned back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest as Dean tossed a book of the lore onto the table. "What did the two of you do so wrong that God came out of hiding?"

"Shut your cakehole, smartass." Dean helped Castiel into his room, Chuck followed, but not before shooting Adam a knowing look.

Dean lowered Castiel onto the bed and began removing his clothes. The angel was rarely ashamed of his figure, but something in Dean's heart lurched when Castiel turned his head away with flushed cheeks. Chuck began working his mojo on the angel while the human paced across the floor. "How long until he's better?" Dean asked.

"He'll be fine with a few hours of rest. I've done what I can to heal the wound."

Chuck and Dean left Castiel to sleep as they returned to the library. Adam stood up and took a swing at Chuck, but it never landed. Dean hemmed Adam up against the wall with a feral growl. "What the hell is the matter with you, kid?"

"Kid?! I haven't been a kid in a long time, Dean." Adam shoved Dean away and the eldest Winchester brother was surprised by his show of strength. Something glowed behind Adam's eyes and Dean took a step back.

"Where is Michael, Adam?" Chuck asked. At Dean's confused expression, the primordial being began to explain. "There's a reason the creature with Lucifer didn't need to release Michael from the cage."

"What is he talking about?" Dean requested. "Adam, if you set Michael free, we could all be in danger."

"We're all already in danger." Adam lowered his head a little, shoulders slumped forward and his spine lax. "When I found out that i was Michael's mate, I hated it at first. But then something changed. Whenever Lucifer was too caught up in his own stupidity to see what was going on, we ugh....got to know each other a little better."

_Tawny skin stretched over rippling muscle flexed beneath a pale hand. Hips snapped and rolled in a way that made Adam grip the bars of the cage as his mate stroked all the places that made his toes curl. "You're mine, Adam. All of the angels in heaven could not keep you from me," a deep voice rumbled in his ear. Warm air puffed across his sensitive skin as Adam bit his knuckles to keep from moaning too loud, but it was useless._

_Adam felt loved and worshiped upon an altar of heaven's truly most sinful angel, for the things that Michael did to Adam were anything but holy. His breath rattled in his chest as his back was pressed against the bars. Wings spread wide just beyond his line of sight as forceful thrusts sent him over the edge._ _He threw his head back and moaned in ecstasy, "Michael!"_

Fingers snapped in front of his face and Adam couldn't meet his brother's gaze. He cleared his throat and ran his fingers through his hair, causing it to stick out in random directions. "Snap out of it. You seriously just tell us that Michael... _Michael_ , the dick-bag arch angel, is your mate?"

Adam saw red, but the look in God's eyes held him back. He knew. He  _knew_ what had happened in the cage between him and Michael. Adam felt dirty. He wanted to run and hide, to pretend that he had been strong enough to resist the bond. But his captor and his mate had proven to be too much a temptation. Like Sam and Dean, he craved nothing more than being loved and accepted. And Michael had loved every inch of Adam's body.

_The wet, soft velvet of Michael's tongue licked up Adam's back before pearly-white teeth sank into the flesh at the nape of his neck. Adam arched his back and shoved against his lover, taking him deeper and begging for more. A firm hand circled around his throbbing erection and caused Adam to whimper. "No one will ever have you like this...so beautiful and giving." Michael's voice caused chill-bumps to rise across Adam's skin as he rolled his hips, chasing the feeling of bliss he knew his mate could provide._

_Broken sobs and mindless rambles of dirty words filled the cage. Michael engulfed Adam's slender frame with his large body, pushing him into the floor until his knees buckled. Adam spread his legs wider..._

Adam's memories were interrupted by the door to the bunker opening a second time. Sam, Gabriel, and Samandriel shuffled inside a moment later. Adam could instantly see the change in his brother's behavior. He stood next to the arch angel in a way that was familiarly possessive. Samandriel, however, had a different change about him. Adam spent long enough in hell to know the stench of a demon's concubinus. Sure enough, when Samandriel rolled up his sleeves to dig around in his bag, Adam spotted Crowley's Sigil branded on his forearm. He wasn't the only one to notice.

Dean yanked the angel up by his wrist and barked, "What the hell is this, Alfie?!"

Samandriel snatched his arm back, using his other hand to cover the mark protectively. "I...I accepted an offer. Crowley brought me back after Castiel killed me. He took care of me and I started to...he's different."

"He tortured you! Tried to reset your...coding or whatever," Dean said angrily. 

"Dean, none of us can choose our mates. Who we bond with is outside of our control." The angel set down a much larger book on top of Adam's growing pile. He recognized it as a Codex instantly. "But that doesn't mean I can't help you. Crowley got his hands on this last week. He says Lucifer's trials are almost complete and I don't need to be convinced that him having the Codex is a bad idea. There's a lot of power in this book alone. Part of me thinks the rest should never be uncovered."

Adam rested his hand on the Codex.  _Hold on, Michael,_ he thought.

Gabriel looked at Chuck with nothing but sadness in his eyes. Sam curled his fingers around the arch angel's bicep to offer support. "You hide away for centuries, only popping up whenever you want, but as soon as Michael or Lucy are in trouble..." Gabriel laughed bitterly. "You show up without question."

"I understand you're upset-"

"Don't patronize me!" the angel roared. "For so long I begged you for help. I was forced to seek out other Gods and forge alliances just to survive. You, Michael, and Lucifer just couldn't see beyond your big war. The apocalypse didn't need to happen. If the three of you had just found the ball to come up with a solution that didn't involve the end of the world, we wouldn't be here right now. Do you know how I came back from the dead? The  _real_ reason?"

Sam's thumb stroked Gabriel's arm, not pushing for an answer even though he clearly wanted one more than Chuck.

"Y/N. She was there the night Lucifer killed me and she brought me back. Helped me go into hiding, but only if I promised not to...not to make myself known to Sam Winchester until the time was right." Gabriel ducked his head, looking rather guilty, but Sam didn't blame Gabriel. He was over being angry with people for not fighting against the curse that was his life. His comforting touch never stilled on the angel's arm.

"So, she's the one?" Chuck mused aloud. "Bobby, Ash, Garth, and a few others have risen as well. Seems she's gathering all of the Winchesters' old allies for the war to come. It's safe to assume that she's the one speeding up the mating bonds between all of you as well."

"Why are you really here?" Sam asked suddenly, causing the others to grow just as suspicious.

"As the tears in the ethers grow, I become weaker. This is no longer my universe," Chuck huffed. "We aren't playing by my rules anymore. The creature who comes from Y/N's word is feeding off of the death and carnage."

With a newfound determination, everyone sets off to tend to their individual tasks. Chuck and Adam poured themselves over the codex, trying to decipher the unique language. Samandriel returned to Crowley with a promise to sneak them whatever information they found in their own search. Sam and Gabriel resumed their hunt for the other codexes.

Dean hovered uselessly over Castiel's sleeping figure.

He carded his fingers through the hair that always looked like Castiel had a rough quickie in a bathroom stall. Dean stared down at the trail of dark hair that disappeared beneath the covers. He hadn't really  _looked_ at Cas while he was undressing him, too focused on getting him healed. But now Dean was curious. He licked his lips and watched Cas's chest rise and fall, the movement slowly...teasingly sliding the covers lower and lower.

Dean felt like such a creep, but he couldn't look away from the olive toned skin revealed to his eyes. The sounds of Castiel's breathing changed and his gaze flicked up to find a ridiculously blue gaze staring back at him. "Cas...I..." his words were cut off when he was pulled across Cas's chest. Dean peppered kisses along that strong, stubbled jaw and settled between Castiel's legs.

Quick hands shoved Dean's jacket off his shoulders and tossed it to the floor. Those same hands tugged his shirt over his head and roamed over the muscles of his abdomen, causing Dean to suck in a harsh breath and grind his erection against the angel beneath him. Dean's hand reached beneath the covers and gripped Castiel's dripping cock, shuddering and crashing his mouth down on Cas's in a messy kiss. Cas's hands squeezed his ass and pulled him closer as they moved against one another.

Dean lifted his hand and broke the kiss long enough to lick his palm and resume stroking Castiel. "Dean!" Cas hissed. "I-I won't last long...mmmm...I'm close."

"Ssshh...let me take care of you." Dean shoved away the memories of past lovers using his body as nothing more than a tool to get themselves off. This was different. He loved Castiel and Castiel loved him back. His hand moved quickly beneath the blanket, wet slick sounds filling his ears. The sight of Cas arching off the bed paired with the hot spurts of semen that covered his hand was enough to make Dean Winchester cream his jeans. He bit down on Castiel's shoulder and tried to hide in the crook of his neck.

"You're beautiful, Dean. Thank you." They kissed and kissed until their lips were swollen and Dean was unpleasantly sticky. Cas joined Dean in the shower, grinding up against him and whispering dirty promises in his ear. Dean didn't have the courage to tell Cas that he's never gone all the way with a guy before, but more and more those dreams of his...the ones that made him tangle his hands in the sheets and thrust into the air....were becoming about his best friend and the love of his life.

Back in the library, Adam and Chuck made identical expressions of disgust from the sounds coming from the room down the corridor. To distract themselves, Chuck decided to strike up a conversation. "You and Michael, Castiel and Dean, Sam and Gabriel, Lucifer and Y/N, Samandriel and Crowley....unique, but completely obvious pairs, I think."

"Really?" Adam scuffed. "What about any of this was obvious? Admit it, you couldn't foresee this one. It all slipped right by you, but your ego is too big to allow you to admit to a mistake."

"What did Michael and Lucifer do to steal your faith, Adam?"

"Oh, they didn't do much. I have my own bones to pick with  _God_." Adam shoved away from the table and stomped into the kitchen.


	11. Circle IV: Greed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: SMUT...Like kinky smut that will force me to update the tags. Lovely smut.
> 
> Some heartbreak and honesty as well.

Gold. Mounds of glittering coins surround a vat of molten treasure. The metallic liquid churns with the souls trapped in its depths as Lucifer eases his way by. His hand curled tighter around Y/N's and tugged her along. She seemed different, hesitant whenever he touched her. But she had every right. They rounded another pile of gold and came upon a desk. Plutus, God of Greed, stared at them with crystalline eyes. Behind him was a war between those who keep that are forced to push heavy blocks into the center and those who spend, pushing back against the blocks in an endless struggle. Plutus smirked before his eyes slid to Y/N. The god licked his lips and Lucifer felt a murderous rage fill him.

She walked up to the desk and signed her name as well as Lucifer's. He stared at her in confusion. "What is this?"

"We must be evaluated."

"I don't remember this from the tales."

"Because it changed," she chuckled. "If you wish to pass through, you must speak with him. And so must I."

Lucifer didn't like the thought of being separated from her, but he nodded his head. Plutus gestured for him to follow along a winding path through the riches. Lucifer wasn't tempted in the slightest, for he had no interest in wealth. The God of Greed was silent for several heartbeats. "I have been watching your journey. Your selfishness astounds me."

"My selfishness? Everything I have done has been for her."

The harsh cackling that followed made Lucifer feel a surge of recklessness that demanded the god's head on a platter. Plutus clucked his tongue in disapproval. "Many believe that my realm here is to judge the handling of money only, but that is not true. Any act of sinful greed that mars the soul comes to me for judgment. Though the soul may not stay in this circle of damnation, my word could worsen or lessen punishment elsewhere," Plutus explained.

"What act of sinful greed mars my soul?"

The god sighed heavily and shook his head. "I will not bother going into the far past for your judgment. Your father's idea of sin is not a shared belief in the eyes of  _all_ gods. In fact, many of us would applaud the way you've handled your fall from grace. Even his precious Michael would have fared worse."

"Everyone likes to pretend they know why I did what I did, but only Y/N truly understands," he replied. "But that's not what we're really here to talk about, is it?"

"No, it is not." Plutus stopped beside a golden mirror, one that Lucifer could not identify even with all of the knowledge he absorbed through the decades. "This is an artifact from your mate's world. It was given to me by Y/N to barter passage for a soul in her care. By sacrificing the last piece of her home world, she saved him. I have not allowed a transaction like that since. You could say that I have a... _soft_ spot for your mate."

Lucifer clenched his fists tightly. "What is the price for my passage?"

"The truth."

"What?!"

"The most vile act of greed you have committed was keeping the truth from her. She is dead, Lucifer, and nothing you nor I can do to stop it. She is fading the closer you get to purgatory," the god hissed. "Do you wish that she live her last moments with you manipulated by the promises she sees in your eyes? You sicken me. You have nothing to give her and yet you will use her love as a shield to avoid-"

"I don't want to hurt her!"

"You don't want to hurt yourself!" Plutus shoved Lucifer toward the mirror and forced him to watch the swirling images within it's reflection. "She's starting to remember. It would be best to tell her before her memories return completely."

_"Give her back to me."_

_"I can't do that, son. Y/N is not one of my creations. I have no power over her," God replied._

_"But she is my mate. You have power over me and her magic flows through me, which means....you can use it to bring her back. Y/N isn't supposed to die, that's not how this was supposed to end."_

_"All things must come to an end."_

_"BUT NOT HER!" Lucifer roared. "I'm finally doing the right thing. I'm finally saving your precious humans and you turn your back on me once again?! What a benevolent being you are, Father. It wasn't enough to make me the only angel capable of questioning you. It wasn't enough to punish me for it and exile me to a cage. It wasn't enough to make me into a monster. You stood by and watched as everything fell apart. Do this ONE thing for me."_

Plutus turned Lucifer back to stare into his eyes intently. "Don't you see? Even after watching her die, you thought only of yourself. Tell her the truth, Lucifer, or else stay here and watch the world burn for your selfishness. Do not let her sacrifices be in vain." The God of Greed disappeared. Down the winding path, Y/N appeared. Her eyes lit up at the sight of him and she rushed into Lucifer's arms.

"I'm so glad you're alright. Plutus can be difficult to deal with."

"Wasn't anything I couldn't handle," he said, feigning confidence. "I love you, you know that?"

"Of course,  _Álainn."_ She came up onto the tips of her toes, plastering her chest against him as she brushed her lips with his. Lucifer lifted her off of the ground and deepened the kiss. Y/N's nails prickled at the nape of his neck, sending a jolt of arousal through his body, but Lucifer pulled back. Plutus was right. He set her down and swallowed past the lump in his throat that came with seeing the hurt in her eyes.

"We need to talk and we don't have much time."

"What is it?" Y/N asked.

"I've been lying to you."

She flinched away from him. "I don't understand."

"When we fought through the seventh circle, you didn't make it out of Violence alive." Lucifer saw her eyes lower to the ground. Her arms wrapped protectively around her middle and he hated himself for it. "You used the last of your power to force me through a portal. The Harpy killed you."

"But I'm...alive..."

He shook his head. "My father brought you back, but not completely. You're starting to f-fade..." Lucifer squeezed his eyes shut, feeling the tears that cracked his voice spill over his lashes. "I couldn't bear the thought of going on without you...of losing you now that I've finally found something that I...it doesn't matter now. I don't deserve your love or your forgiveness, Y/N. If the world wasn't ending, I would understand if you wanted to leave me here..."

She pressed her palm flat against her chest as though she were in pain. Y/N blinked through the tears in her eyes and shook her head in disbelief. "When were you going to tell me?" His crestfallen expression gave away his answer. "You weren't, were you? You were going to let me remember and hate you for it! You were going to let me fade away with each step we took toward purgatory!" She shoved his chest and pounded her fists into his body.

Lucifer stood there and took the abuse, for he deserved it and far worse for his lies. "I'm sorry."

Plutus appeared behind her and pulled her away. Y/N turned to hide in the crook of the god's neck and Lucifer winced as his mate found comfort in another male's arms. "Just go," he heard Plutus rumble. The mirror swirled once more and opened as a portal to the next realm. Lucifer cast one last look over his shoulder and then stepped through.

* * *

 

 "So, let me get this straight," Gabe said while perched on the end of the motel bed. They had been traveling for months, fighting horrible creatures along the way, but sometimes they were forced to seek shelter beyond the security of Gabriel's fabricated realities. "Samandriel is claimed by Crowley. Anyone could have seen Dean-o and Cassy from space. Adam and Michael. The glow-bug and Lucy. And..."

"Me and you," Sam finished.

"Right, my favorite part."

The gorgeous moose looked up from the codex they found the previous night. "What is?"

"The you and me part."

Dad bless the mortals who smashed their naughty bits together and made Sam Winchester, for Gabriel's heart about exploded at the sight of that deliciously dimpled smile. "You have no idea how strange it is for me to hear that my crush  _actually_ likes me back," Sam said bashfully. "Geez, Gabe, I've been pining after you since you were a janitor."

"Really? What was with all those girlfriends then?"

"Distractions. And there weren't many. Nowhere near as many as you've been with."

Gabriel crawled over the bed and settled himself into the moose's lap. He set the codex aside and kissed along that strong jawline that made him ache with need. "Come on, Samshine. We're in Italy. It might be the last chance we have to enjoy it."

"The next codex might be buried somewhere beneath the Vatican," Sam sighed as Gabriel rocked his hips. "We should focus on finding it before Crowley does...Gabe! S-stop, I can't think when you do that." Gabe chuckled, warm breath cascading over the shell of Sam's ear before lips grazed his neck.

"Save a horse, ride a cowboy, Sammy. And that's what I intend to do." The trickster snapped his fingers and Sam's eyes widened. They were both naked. Gabriel wiggled in his lap to drive home his point and a lovely blush appeared on the apples of Sam's cheeks. "I won't claim you yet, not without your consent. But we can have fun."

A dark lust appeared in those multi-colored eyes and Sam sucked his fingers into his mouth. Gabriel groaned when that hand reached back and found the puckered flesh of his entrance. He bucked unintentionally and Sam claimed his mouth in a ruthless kiss that was more biting that anything. Those fingers circled the tight muscle until it flattened and then probed their way inside. He was tight already, but his body clenched around Sam's invasion. "Please..." he moaned. Sam's free hand reached up to wrap around Gabriel's neck.

 _There it is_ , he thought.  _There's the darkness that made Sam Winchester a force to be reckoned with._ Though he no longer required demon blood, there was something still lingering in those veins. Gabe could practically smell the brimstone. Magic, especially dark magic, leaves a scar. Sam has had his fair share of being touched by magic. It hovers just beneath his skin. Gabriel pushed back into the fingers that stroked and scissored inside of him, feeling the stretch and burn that he loved so much. He licked his lips as Sam pulled them free.

Gabriel felt the bulbous head of Sam's cock kissing his fluttering anus. The tip of his own erection was positively weeping against the rippling muscles of his lover's abdomen. Sam pushed up and against his little hole until it yielded. "Fuck!" Gabe barreled down with all of his weight, taking Sam to the hilt and breathing deeply to ease the pain. Sam squeezed his throat to get his attention and whiskey eyes flickered down to see the hungry expression on that beautiful face.

Sam loosened his grip. "Move," he growled.

"As you wish." Gabriel shifted a little and then pushed up with his knees until just the head remained inside. He bit down on his bottom lip and then slid down, burying the length of Sam's throbbing member inside his clenching channel. Precum dribbled from the tip of his penis as Sam wrapped long, calloused fingers around his shaft. "Fuck, Sam....yes, touch me."

"Look at you, angel. So beautiful. Fuck, Gabe, you're so tight and perfect."

The words of praise washed over him like sunlight and he soaked it up. Gabriel began to ride Sam with renewed vigor, grinding his hips into each downward thrust. Sam began to move with him as filthy words dripped from lips that prayed to his father in time of need. "I'm so hard for you, Gabe. I love when you clench around me. I'm surprised you could take it all....does that feel good? Do you like it when I fuck you like this?"

"Sam!"

Gabriel was suddenly empty. He was flipped over, his chest shoved into the mattress by a firm hand on his back. Looking back over his shoulder, Gabriel nodded his head to give Sam permission. Spit trickled from sensual lips and covered his burning flesh before Sam speared into him on a brutal snap of his hips. Knuckles gripped the sheets. "Fuck me, Sam. Do what you've always wanted to do to me. I can take it..."

The bruising grip on his hip tightened and Sam lost control. Sweat-slick bodies glided against one another, punching out pitiful moans as Gabriel fucked himself backward to meet Sam's thrusts. "Come inside me, Sammy. Fill me up," he moaned just as his erection caught on the sheets and he spilled his seed onto the soft silk. Sam's body tensed as Gabriel's orgasm triggered his release. They moved in stuttered thrusts through the aftershocks of their pleasure. "Wow..."

"You said it, Kiddo."

"That was..."

"Yeah."

"Are you going to let me finish?" Sam chuckled.

"You would have to find the rest of your brain cells first."

Sam removed his weight from Gabriel's back and held him still as he pulled out. There was a slight wince, but it was nothing he couldn't handle. The room went quiet, however, and Gabriel felt self-conscious. He looked back at Sam and realized that he was staring. "What?"

"This is so fucking hot, Gabe." Sam brushed his hole with the pad of his finger. "Watching it slide out like this...I've never seen anything better." The kiss planted to his lower back made Gabriel jump in surprise. Sam smacked his shapely rear playfully and carried him to the bathroom for a shower. Gabriel didn't know how to feel as he listened to Sam's endless spew of compliments and words of adoration as he was washed from head to toe.

All he knew was that Sam Winchester was an addiction he didn't plan on kicking. 


End file.
